You Can't Give Up On The One You Love
by Shanna1
Summary: When Logan asks Veronica a question out of the blue - life ensues. With a little bit of Mac/Dick thrown in.


A/N: I've seen most of the first two series but only the first 3 episodes of season 3 so go with it and Leo is still a cop.

Veronica Mars stood in reception area of Mars Investigations with her mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. Logan Echolls stood waiting patiently for her say something but given that it had been a few minutes he was getting anxious.

"Are you going to say anything?" He finally asked.

"Am I being punked?" Veronica asked. "Is there a camera somewhere around here?"

"No." He scratched the back of his neck. "It was a serious question."

"Are you drunk?"

"It's 8.30 in the morning. I'm not drunk or hung-over nor have I taken any mind altering substances." He clarified.

"You can't just show up here and ask me something like that on a sudden whim without giving it thought."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out two airline tickets and handed them to her.

"I bought them two days ago."

"Your plans with Dick fell through?" She guessed.

"No, that ticket has your name on it." He pulled something else out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I got this out of the safety deposit box two days before that. It was my grandmother's; I figured you prefer it to some flashy new diamond from Tiffany's."

Veronica slowly opened the ring box inside was a platinum band ring with a 0.66ct round cut diamond with a smaller diamond on each side. It wasn't ostentatious or something that the rich would normally pick out.

"This isn't a whim." He stepped closer to her. "I've been thinking about this for days."

"Oh my god you're serious." It hit her and she sat down on the couch with a thump.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"Right now I'm thinking I've been up most of the night tailing a guy and I really wanted those chocolate chip pancakes I was just going to get."

"Okay, let's go and get pancakes." He picked her up jacket and purse from the desk.

"That's it? Let's go and get pancakes?"

"If you want pancakes, I'll buy you pancakes, besides it gives me more time to convince you that it's a good idea."

She got up.

"And you haven't said no yet." He whispered in her ear.

"What can I get you?" The waitress at the diner asked.

"Chocolate chip pancakes and a chocolate milkshake." Veronica replied her hand still tightly holding the ring box.

"I'll have the same." Logan told her.

"It won't be long." She smiled and headed back to sort out their order.

"Where did this come from?" Veronica asked.

"The ring? The label in the box said somewhere in New York I think." He replied.

"No proposing."

"I realised last week when something happened you were the only I wanted to tell. However screwed up things get you are always the one person I want in my life."

"We broke up." Veronica reminded him. "On several occasions."

"I know. Haven't you noticed that we keep getting thrown back together? I love you Veronica and you are the one person I can see myself growing old with. That's the important thing everything else is bullshit that we can figure out together."

"This is crazy."

"Isn't there some saying about not marrying the person you can live with, but marrying the person you can't live without?"

"I need a minute." She admitted. "I'm going to go and wash my hands."

"I'll be waiting to make you don't sneak off with the family jewels."

"Is this some kind of cosmic joke Lilly?" Veronica asked into the air once she was safely inside the women's bathroom. Knowing she wouldn't get an answer she leant against the wall. She slowly opened the ring box and looked at the ring. It was what she would have chosen if she could have picked any ring herself.

Veronica slipped the ring out the box and slid it onto her finger and then held out her hand to look at it. It was perfect.

"I'm crazy." She muttered to herself. She grabbed her cell phone and hit speed dial.

"_Hello." _A sleepy voice answered.

"Mac, tell me I'm crazy." Veronica requested.

"You're crazy. _Do you know what time it is Veronica?" _Mac inquired.

"8.45."

"_On Sunday morning."_ She groaned.

"Sorry. But I need someone to tell me I'm crazy for even considering it."

"_Considering what exactly?"_

"Logan."

"_You slept with him?" _Mac guessed.

"Worse."

"_Worse how?_"

"He showed up this morning and asked me to elope with him to Las Vegas."

"_Elope as in proposing?"_

"Yes."

"_Is he drunk?"_

"No. He bought plane tickets a few days ago and he has his grandmother's engagement ring. It's the perfect ring, it's not too big and not too small and..."

"_What did you say?"_

"Nothing yet." Veronica replied.

"_Where is he?"_

"Waiting for me to come out the bathroom so we can have pancakes." Veronica answered.

"_Pancakes?"_

"He asked what I was thinking and I said I wanted pancakes. So he's buying me pancakes. I'm pretty sure he told me he couldn't live without me."

"_Wow!!"_

"Am I crazy for even considering this?" Veronica asked.

"_No. He's cute, rich, had an insane family and he loves you more than anything. The question is do you want to marry him? Can you see yourself celebrating your fiftieth anniversary with your kids and grandkids?"_

"This is crazy."

"_Congratulations. What time are the plane tickets for?"_

"This afternoon." Veronica replied.

"_Call me with all the details. But I think you've left him hanging long enough. Go and tell the boy you'll marry him."_

"Thanks Mac." Veronica hung up. She took a deep breath and had one more look at the ring that was on her finger, she stuffed her hand in her pocket before she went back to join him.

"Everything okay?" Logan inquired when she sat down.

"Ask me again."

"What?"

"Ask me again." She prompted again.

"Veronica Mars will you run away with me to Vegas and marry me?" He asked.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Okay?" He looked at her. She nodded. He leant across the table and kissed her.

"I have two conditions." Veronica stopped him.

"Let's hear them."

"I'm not signing a prenup but if we screw this up I don't get half of everything."

"I can live with that." He agreed. "What is the second condition?"

"You have to tell my Dad when we get back."

"He's going to shoot me isn't he?" Logan sighed. "Okay."

"Pancakes." The waitress brought their order over.

"Thanks." Veronica tucked her hair behind her ear so Logan could see she was wearing the ring.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"Just the check. We need to leave as soon as we're done eating." Logan replied. "We've got somewhere to be."

VMVMVMVM

Across town Wallace woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing.

"Hello."

"_How much money do you have?"_ Mac asked.

"Not enough to bail you out of jail."

"_Do you have enough for a plane ticket to Vegas?" _

"Probably why?"

"_Veronica and Logan are eloping this afternoon and I thought we could go and surprise them and act as witnesses." _She explained.

"Hang on did you say Veronica and Logan are eloping?"

"_She just called me. So what do you think?... Hang on there is someone at my door."_

Mac got up from the computer where she was checking out flights to Vegas.

"Dick?" She was surprised to see him at her door. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if I could buy you breakfast."

"Sorry, I'm a little busy trying to organise tickets to Vegas for this afternoon." She apologised.

"I love Vegas. Why the sudden urge to go to Sin City?"

"Logan and Veronica are eloping this afternoon. Wallace and I are going to go and surprise them if we have enough money." She explained.

"Eloping? This I have to see." He pulled out his wallet. "Put the tickets on my credit card."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Do it." He nodded.

"Wallace, Dick is going to pay for the tickets. The only direct flight to Vegas is at 2.05. We'll pick you up at noon." Mac told him over the phone. "See you in three hours."

Logan wrapped his arms around Veronica's waist as he kissed her as they waited for their flight to be called for boarding.

"Why if it isn't the happy couple?" Dick called as they walked towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Logan asked.

"I was out for a walk and ran into my best buds here and we thought why not do something crazy and go to Vegas? Here we are." He shrugged.

Logan looked at Veronica.

"I only called Mac to make sure I wasn't crazy for agreeing to this."

"You didn't think we'd let you get married without being there did you?" Wallace told her. "You need witnesses."

"I want details." Mac grabbed Veronica's hand and drew her over the chairs.

"So you're getting married?" Dick slapped Logan on the shoulder. "She's not knocked up is she?"

"No I'm not thank you very much." Veronica informed him.

"So Elvis or a guy dressed as an alien?" Wallace asked.

"We haven't got that far yet." Logan admitted.

"You're going to need a dress." Mac told Veronica. "We're going shopping once we land."

VMVMVMVMVM

Veronica let herself and Logan into the Mars's apartment three days later to find her father pacing the living room floor.

"So you're alive, I've just called all the hospitals."

"Sorry Dad, my cell battery died." She held her left hand behind her back. "Did you get your bail jumper?"

"He's back in jail where he belongs."

"That's great Dad." She smiled.

"Logan." Keith Mars acknowledge the fact that he was standing there.

"Dad, while I go and put my cell phone on to charge Logan wants to talk to you about something." Veronica flashed Logan a smile before leaving the two important men in her life to talk.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Keith asked. In her room Veronica had the video camera out and had zoomed in to get the talk on the record.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"You got arrested again?" Keith guessed.

"No."

"You got my daughter arrested?"

"No, I would never..."

"She's pregnant?"

"I'm not pregnant." Veronica called from the doorway. "Why does everyone assume that?"

"You're not helping." Logan glanced over his shoulder at his wife.

"What exactly did you want to tell me?" Keith crossed his arms.

"Your gun locked away right?" Logan asked.

"Just tell him." Veronica prompted.

"We eloped." Logan blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"We went to Vegas and got married two days ago." Logan took a step back.

"Veronica, would you come out here for a minute?" Her father requested.

"Hey Daddy." She smiled.

"You got married?" He scowled at Logan. Veronica held up her left hand which had her engagement ring and a wedding band which matched the one Logan was sporting on his left hand. "Logan, would you wait outside while Veronica and I have a discussion?"

Logan looked at Veronica.

"It's okay." She assured him. "Wait for me outside."

Logan moved to kiss her but then decided it was a bad idea and went outside as requested.

"You got married?" Keith looked at his daughter. "When I left four days ago the two of you weren't involved you were barely speaking."

"I know. He came to see me and asked me to marry him and told me he couldn't live without me."

"Veronica you don't marry someone just because they tell you that they can't live without you." Keith pointed out.

"There was more than that. He loves me Dad and I love him. I know this was insane but it feels right. You always taught me to follow my gut instinct. I know it's not going to be easy but we both want it to work and we'll figure it out."

"He makes you happy?"

"You know he does Dad."

"You couldn't have waited for your old man to be there?"

"We've talked about it; we're going to have a wedding on the beach so you can walk me down the aisle when we finish college. We have lots of pictures and video." She told him.

"I'm just a little disappointed that you got married in front of strangers."

"Mac, Wallace and Dick were there. I called Mac to make sure I wasn't crazy and they insisted on coming."

"If he hurts you..."

"I know Daddy." Veronica hugged her father. "I love you."

"I love you too honey. Have you two figured out where you're going to live?"

"I'm going to move in with him and Dick until we can find an apartment. I've already told him I'm not living in a mansion in a 09er zip code. We'll come over dinner at least once a week."

"You'd better." He hugged her again. "Now let's see this video."

"Can Logan come back inside?" Veronica asked.

"No. He convinced you to elope he can stand out there until we're done." He paused. "There is no chance I can convince you to get this annulled."

"Dad I don't think you need the details as to why that's not possible."

"Hey." Veronica said when opened the front door over an hour later. Logan was sat leaning against the wall.

"Everything okay?" He got to his feet.

"We're coming to dinner Friday night." She handed him a bag of her things. "He would like me to remind you that he got a perfect score last time he went to the gun range."

"So he's not going to kill me?"

"Not today. I'll pick up the rest of my things at the weekend. Let's go home."

"Home. I like the sound of that." He kissed her.

"Father three feet away." Keith called from inside.

"Goodbye Mr Mars." Logan said.

When they got back to the suite Logan dropped Veronica's bags on the floor and spun Veronica around so her back was against the wall and kissed her.

"Room mate alert." Dick stopped when he saw them. "If you'd like to clear the doorway I'll leave you to it."

"Are you coming home for dinner?" Veronica asked as Logan rested his forehead on hers.

"Mac's dragging me some place so you two can have time alone. As you were." He left.

"We really need to find an apartment." Veronica sighed and ducked under Logan's arm and grabbed her bags.

"What happened to as we were bobcat?" Logan grabbed the bags and carried them into the bedroom.

"Dick kind of ruined the mood."

"I'm sure I can help you find it again." He stepped towards her.

"Logan wait!" She put a hand on his chest to stop him. "There's something we need to talk about."

"What did your father convince you that you should divorce me and take the money and run?" Logan guessed with a hint of humour in his voice.

"No. He accepts marrying you was my choice. But this is about money."

"If you want something tell me, I'll have you put on my accounts tomorrow."

"That's it."

"What's it?"

"I don't want it."

"What?" Logan was a little confused.

"I don't want your money."

"Okay." He was even more confused.

"I like my job."

"Working at the library help desk?" He tried to clarify.

"No being a PI. I like helping my Dad out and solving cases. I'm going to get my licence."

"I don't have a problem with you being a PI Nancy Drew. I don't like how you solve some of your cases but I'm not going to stop you doing it."

"I want to join the FBI."

"I can live in Virginia for a while." He kissed her.

"And you're not paying for college."

"Why have a huge debt and have to be on work study when I can afford it?"

"Because."

"That's a good answer." He kissed the side of her neck.

"Logan, I'm trying to have a serious discussion here."

"I'm trying to seduce you, let's see who wins."

Veronica kicked his legs from under him so Logan fell backwards onto the bed. She straddled his waist and pinned his arms above his head.

"If this is your idea of seduction I'm like it." He smirked.

"This is my idea of getting you to talk to me or you're not getting any for the next fifty years."

"I'll make you a deal; when you join the FBI I get to pay off all your college debt, until then you can be a poor struggling student with a rich husband."

"That gives me three years to talk you out of it."

"So far I have to say I am liking your efforts."

"Shut up." She kissed him before pulling her top over her head and throwing it on the floor.

VMVMVMVMVM

"I'm just saying I don't need a place with a swimming pool and a hot tub and the need for ten people to keep it clean." Veronica said as she let herself into the suite Logan following behind her.

"Apartment hunting not going well?" Mac asked as she sat beating Dick at the X-Box game they were playing.

"I found a place I liked, but Logan doesn't think it's big enough."

"All I was saying was we can afford somewhere bigger."

"We're college students; we don't need a huge space." She sank down onto the couch.

"That doesn't mean we have to live in a box."

"Don't you ever just crave a normal existence? After everything that happened with Lilly, your Mom and Dad and the Kanes don't you ever just want to forget about the money and live like normal people who have to have jobs and don't live in hotel suites?"

"Money rocks." Dick stated.

"You're not helping." Mac slapped his upside the head.

"I have money." Logan reminded her.

"Take it from someone who grew up without it. It doesn't make you happy; it just tends to make some people jerks. Mac..."

"One second...." She hit a few buttons before declaring herself the winner. "Ice-cream sundaes?"

"And lots of hot fudge sauce."

"Let's go."

"Hey. What about our rematch?" Dick protested.

"Sorry ice-cream sundaes outweigh your charm."

"Where are you going?" Logan asked.

"Out."

"When will you be back?"

"When I get over the urge to hit you. So maybe never. Come on."

"So married life is going well?" Mac asked as they rode the elevator down.

"It's fine apart from one issue."

"The money?" Mac guessed.

"We've already agreed he won't pay for college unless I join the FBI. I just don't see the point of living in a huge house just because he grew up in one. There is one positive to fighting."

"Make-up sex?" Mac suggested.

"He's really good at it." Veronica smiled.

"So what is going on with you and Dick?" Veronica inquired as she ate her sundae.

"We're hanging out." Mac replied.

"Just hanging out or hanging out because neither of you wants to use the word date?"

"I don't know." Mac admitted.

"Do you want it to be a date?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know. When we're on our own he's nothing like the boy we went to high school with. He's sweet and considerate."

"It seems to be a constant surprise with the rich playboys formally of Neptune High. Logan did punch out an ATF agent when he thought I was being abducted and pointed a gun at a guy who was trying to strangle me when he was on bail."

"According to rumours, Logan has had a crush on you since junior high."

"Who are we to listen to rumours? But we were talking about you and Dick."

"Hey." Veronica said when she let Mac and herself back into the suite.

"Hey." Logan paused the game to Dick's annoyance and got up and gave Veronica a kiss hello.

"Sorry I got mad and had to go and eat my own weight in ice-cream."

"I talked to the landlord of the apartment you liked. He'll give us a six month lease if I pay all the rent upfront and a hefty security deposit. We can sign the lease tomorrow and move in next week."

"Six months?"

"It will give me time to convince you we need a bigger place."

"Deal." She kissed him wrapping her arms around his neck.

"And this is the point where we leave so they can have raucous make-up sex." Dick got to his feet. "Come on I'll teach you how to surf."

"What if I don't want to learn how to surf?" Mac countered.

"I'll beat your ass at pinball at the arcade."

"You're on. Bye guys."

"Now where were we?" Logan asked as he heard the door close.

"Here is a good place to start." She pushed him back onto the couch and straddled him. After a few minutes of heavy making out Veronica's cell phone rang.

"Ignore it." Logan said against her lips.

"It could be my Dad. Sorry." She crawled off his lap and grabbed her back and pulled out the phone. "Hello... No I can meet you at the office in twenty minutes.... It's fine. I'll see you soon." She turned to Logan. "Sorry, it's about the philandering deadbeat jerk I was tailing before you convinced me to elope. Rain check on the raucous make-up sex?"

"It better be a short rain check."

"I won't be long." She kissed him. "And one good thing about moving think of all of the new beds we'll have to try out."

"A really short rain check."

An hour later Logan's cell phone rang.

"This better be a booty call." He answered after checking the caller id.

"_How about an invitation to a romantic stake out at the Camelot?"_

"You owe me."

"_I'll pick you up in ten minutes. Bring snacks."_

Veronica watched out the window waiting as Logan tried unsuccessfully to distract her. There was a tap on the window. Veronica rolled down the window.

"Deputy how can I help you today?" She smiled at Leo.

"I got a report of a suspicious car sat outside the motel. I should have known it would have been you."

"Who called the woman in room three? She's got to be eighty."

"Do I want to know why you're here?" Leo inquired.

"Probably not." Logan answered.

"Maybe we were just feeling a little frisky and were trying to decide if we wanted to get a room." Veronica suggested.

"I heard the two of you got married. Congratulations."

"Leo, can you do me a favour and duck for a minute?" She requested pulling out her camera.

"It's the money shot, let her take it so we can go home." Logan requested.

Veronica snapped pictures.

"Gotcha." She smiled. "Hey Leo, you might want to get back in your car now."

"And why is that?"

"I have photographic evidence that drug deal just went down. The man with the drugs, just spotted you and is about to make a get away in a Dodge Pickup." She

"Those photos?" He asked as he back away to his patrol car.

"Don't worry I'll make sure the photos get to the police station. Go." Veronica turned to Logan. "So I'm done for the night. Do you want to see if they have a spare room and I'll take you up on that rain check?"

"We have hotel suite with better room service." He reminded her.

"But this is so much closer."

VMVMVMVM

"Hey. I ran into your Dad outside he said you had something to tell me." Logan said as he entered Mars Investigations, they had been married for six weeks.

"Hi honey, having a good day?" Veronica turned around to reveal her what looked like seven month pregnant stomach.

"I'm guessing this is what your father was talking about. Was there something you forgot to tell me?"

"No. Just the same old same old." She smiled.

"Since I did a thorough investigation of your body this morning, I'm going to have to conclude that that sweater makes you look fat."

"You're going to offend junior." She patted her stomach.

"So other than calling me down here to see my reaction, I'm guessing there is a story in here somewhere as to why you've swallowed a beach ball."

"It's for a case."

"What kind of case involves you getting knocked up?"

"A guy thinks he got a girl pregnant and he wants to know if it's his and if she'll talk to him."

"I'm not seeing the connection."

"She has an appointment with her OB/GYN this morning so I'm going to go and talk to her I thought she'd be more sympathetic this way."

"You know you look kind of hot with a bun in the oven." He pulled her close and kissed her.

"Well the buns are staying at the bakers until after we graduation and get jobs. Since I'm going to the doctor's office anyway I'm getting my birth control shot."

"That's good to know." He kissed her.

"So do you want to test out your acting genes?" Veronica asked.

"Huh?"

"Can you come with me, pick a fight and storm out of the doctor's office?"

"What if someone recognises me?" Logan inquired.

"That's why I got you a disguise too." She smiled.

"So does this mean I get my undercover P.I merit badge?"

"I think that can be arranged." She kissed him again.

"As hot as you look the size of a Buick I really don't want your Dad walking in on us banging on his desk."

"Talking of walking in, have you spoken to Dick about when he's going to move out? I know you told him he could stay with us until he found a place."

"I'll talk to him."

"While you're discussing him moving out, can you ask him what his intentions are towards Mac?" Veronica requested.

"Guy's don't discuss their intentions beyond whether he'd nail her or not."

"A guy in her psych class asked her out and she doesn't know whether she should say yes or not."

"Tell her to say yes, if Dick gets pissed off she knows his intentions are a little more than friendly." Logan suggested.

"Look at you being all insightful. You'd better change my appointment is in an hour."

Veronica and Logan argued as they walked down the hallway to the doctor's waiting room.

"You're a slut." Logan yelled as they got to the door. "The kid is probably not even mine."

"You bastard!" Veronica slapped him. "Sorry." She mouthed.

"That's it I'm out of here." Logan stormed off.

Veronica was quick to fake tears as she gave her name at the desk. She glanced to make sure there was an available seat next to her target. She walked over wiping her eyes.

"It looks like you could use this." The woman offered Veronica a tissue.

"Thanks."

"Is everything okay?"

"My parents forced me to marry the jerk who got me pregnant. I'm sorry you don't want to hear about it."

"It's okay. I'm Rachel."

"Veronica."

"So do you know if it is a boy or a girl?"

"Boy." Veronica replied. "You?"

"Girl." They chatted until Rachel's name was called. "Look I don't have any plans for the rest of the day. Do you want to get a juice or something to save you going home a while longer?"

"I'd like that." Veronica smiled.

When Veronica was called into the doctor's office he gave her a strange look.

"I have you down for a birth control shot."

"That's right."

"It would appear it is a little too late for that."

"Oh this is just padding. It's a work thing." She pulled her shirt so he could see. "Trust me I'm not pregnant."

"Do I want to ask?"

"Best not to." Veronica replied.

"So the baby's father didn't want to come with you today?" Veronica asked sipping on her milkshake.

"He doesn't know I'm pregnant." Rachel admitted.

"You didn't tell him?"

"Jake is in the Navy. I met him when he was on three day. It was hot and passionate and he left me asleep in a hotel room with a rose and note. I have no idea how to reach him and I doubt he wants his life turned upside down by someone he barely knows."

"The Navy can't help you track him down?"

"They could if I knew his last name. We barely got out bed, but he was sweet and gorgeous. When I found I was pregnant he left a great reminder of a guy I could have fallen in love with but I knew I'd be doing this on my own."

Logan let himself into the apartment to find Dick sat on the floor surrounded by empty beer bottles trying to play a computer game.

"Isn't it a little early for getting smashed?" Logan inquired.

"Mac's got a date." Dick took another sip of her beer.

"With a guy from her psych class. Veronica mentioned something earlier. How is drinking all my beer helping?"

"It's not."

"You could have saved yourself a hangover if you'd just asked her on date rather to hang out." Logan suggested sitting next to him grabbing a beer from the cooler.

"She was my dead brother's girlfriend." Dick stated.

"And I'm married to my best friend's ex-girlfriend who happened to be the best friend of my girlfriend who my father killed. It's a little incestuous but who says it can't work."

"I should call her." Dick started to get up.

"You should wait until you're sober." Logan countered. "She might be less disinclined to shoot you down."

"So where is Ronnie?" Dick inquired.

"Pretending to be knocked up." Logan handed his cell phone where he had taken a picture.

"Is there something you're not telling Uncle Dick?"

"It's for a case." Logan explained.

"She's looks pretty hot."

"Hey!" Logan took the phone back.

"Sorry dude. I guess it's one way to shock a guy."

"I think I was more shocked when she slapped me." He rubbed his cheek.

It was a few hours later that Veronica arrived home sans pregnancy suit. Logan was sat playing computer games while Dick was passed out and drooling on the floor.

"How did it go?" Logan asked.

"I'm going to pregnancy yoga class tomorrow." She dropped her purse and keys on the counter. "Sorry for slapping you."

"I got over it."

"Tell me he's not drunk."

"Mac told him about her date. This is the result; I think it answers your question."

"How much did you drink?"

"Half a beer. Why?"

"Dad's breaking out the grill. He invited us over for dinner. We're going to have to take dopey here with us so he doesn't choke on his own vomit."

"Okay."

"He's drooling on the carpet. This calls for hooker red." Veronica walked into the bedroom.

"What?" Logan was a little confused. She returned with a tube of bright red lipstick and some face paint. "Where did you get that?"

"Back in my days as Miss Peppy Pep Squad. Go Pirates." She proceeded to paint the drunken man's face.

When it was time to leave she banged a spoon against a saucepan to wake him up.

"Hey." Dick woke with a grown.

"Swallow these." She handed him some aspirin. "Be a man and ask Mac out don't get drunk and sulk and get up we're going to my Dad's for dinner."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving a drunken idiot in my apartment, so move it."

Logan watched with a bemused smile as his wife frog marched his friend out of the apartment and into the car.

"Hey Dad." Veronica greeted her father. "Why don't you put him on the couch?" She suggested to Logan who was helping a still very drunk Dick up the stairs.

"Do I want to know?" Keith asked.

"Mac has a date." She replied. "So he got drunk."

"And the Coco the Clown makeup?"

"He was drooling on my carpet." She shrugged. "I have pictures."

"How did it go today?" Keith asked.

"I talked to her, she seems open to it. I'm meeting her tomorrow I'll tell her the truth then."

Logan came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist kissing her temple.

"So what is for dinner?"

"Steak." Keith replied. "He'd better not throw up on my couch."

"Rachel, there is something I need to tell you." Veronica said as they sat having a drink after their yoga class the next day.

"What's that?"

"I'm not really pregnant. My name is Veronica Echolls."

"Echolls? As in Aaron Echolls."

"The irony of the fact that I'm married to the son of the man who killed my best friend and tried to kill my father and me when I figured it out. To be even more screwed up I seem to have a semi-permanent house guest who is the brother of guy who drugged and raped me, caused a school bus to go off a cliff killing my friends, who attacked my friend tried to kill me, and blew up the plane my father was supposed to be on before committing suicide in front of me. My life is a train wreck, but that's not why I'm telling you this."

"I don't understand."

"I'm a private investigator. Jake hired me to find you."

"Jake?" Rachel was still confused.

"He gave me this." She pushed a picture torn from a strip of photos from a photo booth. "He knew your name was Rachel and you lived in Neptune. He wanted me to track you down because he hasn't been able to stop thinking about you."

"Jack hired you to find me? Does he know I'm pregnant?"

"Yes. But he doesn't have any expectations. He asked me to give you these." Veronica pulled a stack of letters out of her bag and placed them on the table. "He wrote you every day for the last six months, even though he didn't know where to send the letters. He'd like you to read them. He also asked me to ask you if you would have breakfast with him tomorrow at Zach's. If you don't go he'll take that as his answer and leave you and the baby alone." Veronica paused. "You were right about him being cute and sweet. This is for you free of charge." She handed her a file.

"What is it?"

"A background check on him. His name is Jacob Kowalski, he's twenty-four an Ensign in the Navy and according to everything I found he's one of the good guys who from talking to him appears to be in love with you. Despite the fact that I only met you yesterday and have been lying to you I would suggest you go to breakfast, you owe it yourself and Jake and the baby."

"Would you come with me?" Rachel asked.

"Sure."

When Veronica left her cell phone rang she answered after checking who as calling.

"Hey Mac."

"_Dick called and asked me out on a date tonight."_

"That's great." Veronica smiled to herself. "Hopefully he will have gotten rid of the clown face by then."

"_Clown face?"_

"He passed out drunk after you told him about your date, so I painted his face like a clown and then took him to Dad's for dinner. He was passed out with a smudged face when I left this morning."

"_I would have paid to see that."_ Mac chuckled.

"I'll send you a picture. How did your date last night go?"

"_I had more fun being forced to go the prom._ _He spent all night talking about the Yankees." _

"Let me know how it goes with Dick. I can't take any more him sulking."

Veronica met Logan at the beach.

"Hey bobcat." He kissed her. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Okay." Veronica replied. They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Is everything okay?"

"Do you want to go Maui?"

"Maui? When were you thinking?"

"In about two hours." Logan glanced at his watch.

"Its nice idea running away, but I promised Rachel I would go with her tomorrow and then I have an oral presentation for my criminology class which is a third of my grade on Monday. Maybe another time." While Veronica continued walking Logan stopped. She turned around and looked at him. "Why are you going to Maui? If you tell me Dick is skipping out on his date with Mac I'll strangle him."

"Trina got arrested for drug trafficking. Can you buy a nice dress I'm going to sell my mother's art collection since it doesn't really go with the decor at the apartment?"

"We'll get to selling the artwork in a minute. Trina got arrested?"

"Faking a fatal illness and trying to shop the Aaron Echolls story didn't pay well. I have to go to Maui to bail her out."

"Can't her lawyer do that?" Veronica asked.

"I'm having her sign away her right to any claims on the estate in exchange for the bail money. Although according to the lawyers their wills were clear I get everything."

"And you're going to sell the artwork?"

"Do you want a Van Gogh on the wall?"

"No."

"The house is going on the market too."

"A lot happened while I was at yoga class."

"I'm just liquidating some assets. It's time." He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Do you need me to drive you to the airport?" He nodded. "Do you think leaving me home alone with only Dick for protection is a good idea?"

"You have a taser and you know how to use it." He kissed her. "Or just ask your father if you can borrow Backup. When I can convince you to move how about a place on the beach?"

"Just build a shack over there." Veronica pointed across to the parking lot.

"Why there?"

"It's where you broke my headlights and Weevil beat you up."

"Ah the memories." He wrapped an arm around her.

"So he went to Maui to bail Trina out?" Mac asked as she met Veronica for breakfast the following morning.

"She's the only family he has left."

"Apart from you and your father."

"Hang on a second." Veronica spotted Rachel. "I'll be right back."

"Sorry I'm late; the baby kept kicking my bladder."

"It's okay, he's still waiting." Veronica led her across the diner to where Jake was sitting in booth. "Jake." Jake got to his feet.

"Hi." He whispered.

"Jake Kalowski. Rachel Bishop. I believe the two of you know each other. I'll be other there if you need me."

"Thank you." Jake smiled as Rachel sat down.

"All part of the service." Veronica went back to her seat.

"How does it feel to play cupid?" Mac asked.

"Good. I'm hoping they can figure everything out they're good people. So tell me about your date?"

"It was good, I had fun." Mac replied coyly.

"I gathered it didn't go too badly when Dick came home at one in the morning and was sober. But I need details, I'm married I need to live vicariously."

A few hours later Veronica stood outside Mars Investigations looking at the carnage when her cell phone rang. She didn't even look at the display when she answered.

"Hello."

"_Hey bobcat, I thought you'd like to know I finally made it to Maui, but I can't bail her out until tomorrow." _

"Okay." Veronica said.

"_Ronnie, what's wrong?" _Logan asked concern evident in his voice.

"How attached to your car are you?"

"_What happened?" _Logan inquired guessing she had dinged it.

"I borrowed it since mine had a flat and I was running late. I dropped by the office and a joy rider drove into it at 60 miles an hour. I'm no expert but I pretty sure it is written off."

"_Are you okay?"_ Logan asked the concern back in his voice.

"I'm fine I was stood on the sidewalk. I'm really sorry."

"_It's not your fault. Just get some pictures, a copy of the police report and call the insurance company."_

"What happened to you? If this had been high school and I got your car totalled you would have killed me."

"_I think we've both learnt since then that people matter more than things. The car can be replaced."_

"You're freaking me out right. Can you just be a jerk for a minute?"

"_What are you wearing?"_ He asked in a slightly perverted tone. Veronica smiled.

"That will do."

"Miss Mars, we're going to need to ask you a few questions." An officer she didn't know appeared.

"It's Mrs Echolls." Veronica corrected.

"_I like the way that sounds." _Logan told her.

"I know you do. Can I call you back later once I'm done here?"

"_I'll call you once I've spoke to Trina. I love you."_

"Me too." Veronica replied before the call terminated. "So how can I help you?" She turned to the officer.

Logan leant against the walk his arms crossed against his chest. The lawyer sat at the table as they waited for Trina to be brought in. She was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and shackles.

"That's good colour for you sis." Logan grinned.

"I heard you got married. What did you do knock her up?"

"No."

"She's after the money."

"Veronica couldn't care less about the money. Where did you get a kilo of coke?" He changed the subject and pushed him off the wall and went to sit down.

"Like you've never done anything wrong."

"Nothing that would get me twenty years." Logan countered.

"Logan." The lawyer stopped him. "We have limited time. Your brother has a proposal." He told Trina. "He is willing to cover your bail and the first ten thousand of your lawyer fees if you sign this." He pushed some paperwork across the table to her.

"What is it?"

"It states that this is the last money you will receive from the Echolls estate, you've already been given what you were entitled to in the will."

"You're cutting me off?" Trina looked at Logan.

"Trina just sign it or you can stay in jail and I'll go home."

"You'd leave me in jail?"

"I'm sure someone would love to make you their bitch and public defenders aren't that bad. How did you manage to blow through everything but ten grand?" Logan inquired.

"How do you know much money I have?"

"We have the same accountant. Let's go." Logan got up.

"Fine I'll sign the damn paper."

Veronica continued to swim lengths of the pool; the water was refreshingly cool in defiance to the heat. When her cell phone rang Veronica extracted herself from the pool as she was reaching to pick it up from where she had left it with her clothes she saw a shadow move. She turned around to see a man with a gun pointed at her.

"Freeze put your hands up."

Veronica did as requested glancing at the phone.

"Can I answer that? He'll keep calling until I pick up." She requested.

"Okay. But no sudden movements."

Veronica slowly picked up the phone.

"Hey honey, you have good timing. Would you mind telling the rent-a-cop not to shoot me if it's not too much trouble?" Veronica requested.

It took Logan half a second to get over the fact that she had called him honey before the rest sunk in.

"_Rent-a-cop? Where are you?"_

"There is a heat wave in Neptune and since the pool at Dad's was busy I remembered you had an empty pool that no-one was using. Now I'm standing here soaking wet with a gun pointed at me by a man in a Neptune Security uniform."

"_Do you want me to have him fired?" _

"No, just get him to put him the gun down so I can get dressed."

"_Let me talk to him." _

"It's for you." Veronica held out the phone. The security guard stepped forward and took the phone from him.

"Hello."

Veronica could hear Logan shouting at him and smiled her hands still held in the air.

"Sorry Mrs Echolls." He said when he returned the phone to her.

"Easy mistake." Veronica put her hands down. He quickly left. "I don't know why he thought I was here to steal the family silver dressed in a bikini."

"_What colour?"_

"What?"

"_What colour is the bikini?" _Logan inquired.

"Red. But what difference does that make?"

"_I'm sat here on a beach in Maui by myself all alone so I need a mental image."_

"Jackass." Veronica smiled.

"_And unless you can manage to hide safe cracking equipment about your person I doubt you'd get to the silver. It's in the vault which I don't have the combination for inside the panic room my mother had built at some point."_

"Seventh grade when you went to Australia while Aaron was doing that movie."Veronica recalled.

"_I'll take your word for it."_

"How are you going to get it out if you don't know the combination?"

"_I have the key to a safety security box which has a box inside it which the lawyer has the key to in which is the combination."_

"The paranoia of the rich and famous."

"_Tell me about this bikini?"_

"How did it go with Trina?"

"_They took her passport; she has an ankle bracelet and can't leave the state. My bank account is a hundred and ten thousand lighter."_

"That's good news."

"_They are trying to strike a deal, but she's looking at time."_

"When are you coming home?"

"_Depending on when I can get a flight. Tomorrow probably."_

"Let know I'll pick you at the airport and bring me a present."

"_A 'my husband went to Maui and all I got was this lousy t-shirt' t-shirt?"_ He suggested.

"I think you can do a little better than that."

"_I'll see what I can do. Now tell me more about this bikini."_

Veronica kept picking up her phone.

"He'll call you." Mac told her with a bemused smiled as they had lunch.

"I know. This week keeps going badly maybe I'm just waiting for the third thing."

"Maybe the three were Trina, the car and the security guard." Mac suggested.

"Maybe."

Veronica's phone rang.

"Finally." She quickly answered. "Hey, when are you getting back?"

"_What time is it now?"_ Logan asked.

"1.32." She answered after glancing at her watch.

"_Then around 1.32._" Logan replied.

"Where are you?" Veronica asked.

"Hey bobcat." He whispered in her ear.

Veronica was quickly to her feet and kissing him.

"I guess you missed me." Logan smirked.

"I thought you were going to call me so I could pick you up."

"I had Dick pick me up so I could surprise you."

"How did you know where I would be?" She asked then turned to Mac. "You knew about this?"

"Dick called me and asked me to invite you to lunch. But this is the point where I leave. Welcome back Logan."

"Thanks Mac." Logan smiled before kissing Veronica. "So did you get into any more trouble while I was gone?"

"I told you leaving me home alone with Dick was a bad idea." She tucked a loose hair behind her ear. "So what did you bring me?"

Logan pulled something out his back pocket and handed it to her.

"A dashboard hula girl. Just what I always wanted." She said sarcastically.

"I'm an expert at buying gifts." He kissed her again.

"Remind me to write you a list for my birthday."

"Come on." He grabbed her hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Home. We have three days to make up for."

A few hours later Veronica woke up in bed alone. She grabbed Logan's shirt from where it had landed on the floor and pulled it on buttoning it as she went.

"Logan?"

"I'm hold with the insurance company about the Xterra." Logan told her. "You know that shirt looks good on you."

"It's nice to know where I come in the list. Leaving me in bed alone so you can sort out your car."

"I'm just trying to find out how long it will take for them to payout."

"I only faxed them the paperwork yesterday." Veronica reminded him. "It usually takes a few weeks to process it all."

"It helps when your mother's college roommate is married to the president of the insurance company." Logan explained. "Yes I'm still here... That's great thanks." He hung up. "The check will be here by the end of the week."

"And this is why people hate rich people."

"Want to come car shopping?" Logan inquired.

"What are you thinking of getting?"

"A convertible maybe."

"But where will you put your surfboard?"

The sound of the key turning in the lock made them look up as Dick walked in. He saw what Veronica was wearing.

"I'll come back later." He turned and was half way out the door.

"Dick come back." Veronica called. "Take him with you."

"Take who where?"

"Logan needs to buy a car, go with him and make sure it's not yellow."

"I thought you liked the Xterra." Logan said.

"I much preferred it when your daddy took your T-Bird away and I didn't have to see it every day."

"Do you remember every jackass comment I ever made?"

"You mean you haven't seen my website?" Veronica joked. "Go buy a car. Just be home by six thirty I'm making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner."

"You're going to have to ask her yourself." Logan said as he opened the apartment door.

"Ask who what?" Veronica inquired.

"Dick found something; he wants to know if you'll let him keep it." Logan explained.

"What did you..." She stopped when she saw the tiny wet puppy in his arms. She grabbed a towel and took the puppy from Dick and started to dry it off. "Where did you find it?"

"Someone was trying to drown it." Dick replied.

"She's adorable, my guess a labradoodle." Veronica said after a quick check. "What are you going to call her?"

"I was thinking you could keep her." Dick suggested.

"She's your puppy. You're going to take her with you when you move out. But she needs a name."

"You pick." Dick told her.

Veronica looked at the puppy and then at Dick.

"How about Hang Ten?" Veronica suggested.

"You're not naming the kids." Logan rolled his eyes.

"Hang Ten it is." Dick tickled the puppy's head.

"Hold her while I serve dinner and then you need to go the store we need dog food, she needs a bed, a leash and a collar oh and an alarm clock."

"What are you going to make sure she wakes up on time?" Logan asked.

"I don't think she is old enough to have left her mother, so you wrap a ticking clock in a towel and it reminds her of her mother's heartbeat so she doesn't get scared and keep us up all night."

While Veronica was putting the plates on the table when the phone.

"Hello." She answered.

"_Hey Veronica, its Mac. Is Dick there?"_

"He's kind of got his hands full with the new woman in his life Mac." She informed her. Dick started to protest.

"_I knew I shouldn't trust him."_ Mac started.

"Mac calm down. He found a puppy while he was car shopping with Logan. I think she's a labradoodle she's adorably cute and called Hang Ten."

"_Hang Ten?"_

"My idea."

"_If it's Dick's dog it's not the worst name in the world. He could have named it after a stripper."_

"How close by are you? Do you want to come over for dinner?"

"_I can be there in ten minutes."_

"See you soon." She hung up. "Slightly delay on the dinner plans boys. Mac is coming over."

The guys were still sat on the floor playing with the puppy when Mac arrived.

"Good timing. Dinner is ready." Veronica smiled.

"I don't think anyone would believe this." Mac surveyed the scene.

"That's why my camera is recording on video mode." Veronica smiled. "Boys you'll have to leave Hang Ten for a minute so we can eat."

They reluctantly joined them at the table to eat. After a few minute Hang Ten came over to Dick's side and yelped.

"I don't think Veronica is going to let me feed you her meatballs buddy." He told the dog.

"That's right. I'll make you list for when you go to the store later." She got up and got the puppy some water. Dick kept glancing at the puppy as she drank. "Have you even had a pet before?"

"Not in the literal sense." He replied.

Logan scoffed.

"You don't need to talk I know all about the hamster incident." Veronica told Logan.

"What hamster incident?" Mac asked.

"Some friend of his father's gave him a hamster his birthday one year and Logan in his great wisdom decided it needed to run free. So he let it out in his room but it escaped and his mother saw it and thought it was a mouse so she called an exterminator and took to her bed. No more pet hamster."

"How do you even know about that?" Logan asked. "I never told you."

"Mrs Navarro told me while Duncan had gone to find you and Lilly. She thought it was endearing."

"I was seven."

"It's better than the alligator you wanted for your fifth birthday." Veronica smiled.

"How many more embarrassing stories do you know about me?"

"Like I said you'll have to read my website." She winked at him.

"So what car did you get?" Mac asked Logan.

"A Xterra." Logan replied. "Before you ask its brick red. It was cheaper than a Tahoe."

"How very unspoiled rich boy of you." Mac commented.

"Not when you get it tripped out." Dick injected as the puppy nudged his leg.

"She's hungry." Veronica told him. "We'll dog sit so you can go the store."

"When did we become people who sat around watching a dog?" Logan asked once Dick and Mac had left.

"When you let your friend bring a puppy home."

"I thought you'd tell him he couldn't keep her."

"She might do him some good. Teach him some responsibility." Veronica suggested.

"This is Dick we're talking about."

"Then you get him to move out."

"Why do I have to suggest it?"

"Because he's your friend." Veronica reminded him.

"I think he would count as your friend too."

"He was a bigger jerk to me in high school than you were and that took a lot of effort."

"The only excuse I have is I wanted to nail you."

"Charming." Veronica rolled her eyes. "And such a typical guy answer."

"Hey it worked didn't it?"

"The being a jerk part not so much. Letting me see your vulnerable human side now that's the part I fell in love with. The fact that I couldn't trust myself to believe that you wouldn't turn into a jerk again because you kept doing it was why it kept stop working."

"So why did you marry me?"

"Because you told me you couldn't live without me."

"That's the only reason?"

"No, you were right when you said that however much we screwed it up we also ended up back together. You kept fighting for us even when I pushed you away so I wouldn't get hurt and you were there when I needed you and even when I didn't. I love you more than anything Logan, well except maybe my Dad and ice-cream sundaes but you're in the top three." Veronica joked causing Logan to smile. "I guess when you proposed and told me you couldn't live without me I realised that I can't live without you either and I should fight for us too. Besides I like to think Lilly is up there somewhere giving us a kick in the right direction."

"I love you too." Logan kissed her and gently lowered her back onto the couch only to be interrupted when Hang Ten yelped.

"Not in front of the puppy." Veronica joked. "She's at an impressionable age."

"I've been away for three days." He reminded her.

"Mac and Dick will be back soon."

Veronica woke up at three in the morning to scratching outside the bedroom door. She pulled on her dressing gown and opened the door to find Hang Ten there.

"Do you want to go out sweetheart?" Veronica took the puppy outside and then carried her back into Dick's room and set her in new bed next to the alarm clock. Veronica then prodded Dick in the side.

"What?" He groaned pulling his head out from under the pillow.

"I just had to take Hang Ten out. You left your door open and she got out."

"You know Ronnie if you're going to wake me up you could at least wear a French Maids outfit." He stuck his head back under the pillow.

Veronica made sure Hang Ten was where she was supposed to be before making sure the door was closed and going back to bed.

"Everything okay?" Logan asked pulling her close.

"I had to take Hang Ten out. It's okay go back to sleep."

"Since we're both awake I have a better idea."

A week later Veronica signed Dick and Hang Ten up for puppy training classes.

In time Dick and Hang Ten moved out, Mac practically moved in with him but still officially had her own place so Logan wasn't surprised when she opened the door.

"Hey Logan. Dick's not here he took Hang Ten to the beach."

"It's actually you I'm here to see."

"So what can I help you with?" Mac inquired as she made him coffee.

"Why do you always think I want something?" Logan asked.

"But you usually do. So what is it?"

"It's Veronica's 21st in a few weeks and I was going to throw her a surprise party."

"Sounds good as long as it's not some society drama she would hate that."

"I was thinking more prom."

"What?" Mac was confused.

"I didn't actually get to take her to any of the high school dances and since she keeps reminding me I was a jerk in high school I thought I'd trying it properly. I already convinced Neptune High to loan me the auditorium for the day the Saturday before her birthday."

"Just to clarify is this going to be like your anti-prom?"

"No. This is going to your typical cheesy themed prom with too many balloons and glitter streamers."

"How can I help?"

"I need help picking a theme and tracking down most of the guest list."

"Wouldn't Mr Mars be better at helping you find people?" Mac suggested.

"Can't you find most people on the internet these days? Most of them are on Facebook or MySpace. I have a list but there are probably a few of her friends I don't know about. If you email the list to the printers there is there address." He handed her a card. "They'll send them out too."

"This is really sweet that you're going to this much trouble."

"You only turn 21 once right?"

"Why is why you spent your 21st birthday in Las Vegas with Dick and the guys?" Mac asked.

"Veronica and I had our own celebration. So will you help me?"

"Sure. You should get Wallace involved too."

Because that year Veronica's birthday fell on a Tuesday they planned to surprise her the Saturday before. The invitations had been sent out, the auditorium decorated beyond an inch of its life and everything was in place.

Mac knocked on the door to Logan and Veronica's apartment at precisely 5pm. The party was scheduled to start at 7 but a limo was picking them up at 6.30 to drive them around so Veronica wouldn't know where they were going.

"Hey Mac." Veronica smiled as she opened the door.

Mac walked in carrying two dress bags and a box with shoes. She was already ready apart from putting on her dress.

"Did I miss something?" Veronica asked.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I need you to do something for me no questions asked."

"Do what exactly?"

"Take a shower and put on this underwear." She handed her a bag. "Then let me do your hair and makeup and blindfold you."

"What is Logan up to?"

"Trust me I won't let anything happen to you."

"He hasn't arranged a surprise wedding has he because..." Veronica started.

"No it's not a surprise wedding. Besides I thought you had already set a date two weeks after we graduate on the beach at sunset."

"We did."

"Then that's the date I have in my calendar. Veronica just trust me it will be fine."

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed.

Mac had had to get dressed in the limo as they drove around so Veronica wouldn't see her dress. When they finally pulled up at the High School Mac got out first so she could lead Veronica and make sure she didn't trip up. Once inside Mac let her to where Logan was waiting.

"Thank you." Logan mouthed to Mac who disappeared inside for the surprise. "Hey bobcat."

"What's going on Logan?"

"Do you trust me?" He asked slipping a corsage onto her wrist.

"At this precise moment no."

Logan laughed.

"You'll find out everything in a few minutes." He led her inside the auditorium Veronica's friends were all waiting. He held a hand above her head and counted down from three, once he got to one he took off her blindfold.

"SURPRISE!!!" They screamed.

"Oh my god." Veronica was stunned. There was a banner which read 'Happy 21st Birthday Veronica' and underneath another that said 'A Knight to Remember' spelt with a K. All her friends were dressed in medieval costumes some as knights apart from Dick who seemed to be dressed as Robin Hood complete with tights.

"Happy Birthday." Logan whispered in her ear. It suddenly dawned on her.

"You threw me a prom party."

"Well they did cancel our prom." He shrugged.

"You're going to need this." Mac placed a ring of flowers on her head. "Just so you're in character to judge the jousting competition later."

Veronica kissed Logan as the guests started to mill around as the music started to play.

"Hands where I can see them." Keith joked. "Happy Birthday sweetheart."

"It not for three days but thank you Dad." Veronica hugged her father.

"Every prom has a chaperone right?" He asked.

"Why is Dick dressed as Robin Hood?" Veronica whispered to Mac later.

"He wouldn't let me get his outfit and that was all they had left." Mac explained. "So do you like it?"

"It's great. I can't believe you and Logan pulled this off."

"It was all Logan. Wallace and I just helped put the guest list together and decorate. I guess he wanted to give you the perfect prom night you never got."

Veronica glanced across to where Logan was talking to his friends.

"Excuse me a minute." Veronica got up and went to speak to the DJ. She then went over to the group. "Sorry to interrupt gentleman but Logan promised me a dance."

"The little lady has spoken." Logan shrugged handing over his drink.

"We're going to slow things down for a minute." The DJ announced. "This one goes out to Logan from Veronica."

"_Now I've had the time of my life...."_ The first bars of I've Had The Time of My Life played out.

Logan shook his head before kissing her forehead.

"You did say you imagined this song playing when we danced." Veronica reminded him.

"Are you having a good time?"

"It's great thank you." She kissed him. "Is there really going to be a jousting contest?"

"I have to put the thousands of dollars my parents spent on fencing lessons to good use."

"It is the perfect prom."

"I was slightly concerned that you wouldn't let Mac blindfold you and ruin the surprise."

"I almost didn't." Veronica admitted.

When the song was over Keith tapped Logan on the shoulder.

"Mind if the old man cuts in?" He asked.

"I don't know. Logan do you want to dance with Dad?"

"I'll leave the comedienne in your capable hands." Logan kissed her forehead before leaving them to it.

"So this is not the kind of party I thought Logan would throw." Keith told her.

"He had his reasons. But I like it; I mean how many people get thrown a high school prom for their birthday?"

"You look beautiful."

"I wouldn't know. I got blindfolded before I got dressed and haven't seen a mirror."

Once the song was over Wallace came over.

"If Dads and Husbands get dance does that mean I'm entitled to one as the best friend?" He inquired.

"I think that can be arranged."

"Before our next song." The DJ announced. "I've been asked to inform you that the jousting competition starts in ten minutes. Those of you who still wish to sign up please see the lovely Nikki."

"So are you going to joust for my honour?" Veronica inquired.

"Jousting is a white boy thing. But you know I've always got your back girl."

"I know, I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Okay ladies and gentlemen if I can ask you to vacate the floor whilst we set up for the joust, we'll will be entertained by the court jester and ask that Queen Veronica take her seat on her throne to be our judge."

"Queen Veronica?" Veronica asked Logan.

"It's your prom, who else was going to be prom queen? Go you have a throne waiting."

Veronica was given two flags one red and one yellow. The jousters were given horse outfits, which were basically foam boxes with a horse's head which were held up with straps. One had yellow flags and the other had red. They also how had foam jousting sticks. They had three runs to score points but basically Veronica decided who won.

"Okay next up we have Sir ..." Nikki hesitated. "Robin of the Hood vs. Sir Graham."

The moments of hilarity were captured by the two photographers who Logan had hired to take pictures of the event especially when Dick's tights ripped.

"Hey Veronica, I need you to wake up for me." Logan rubbed a finger down her cheek.

"It's too early." Veronica groaned.

"I know but you can sleep in the car on the way."

"What time is it?"

"Eight." Logan replied.

"We didn't go to bed until gone two."

"I know. But if you go back to sleep now you'll miss all the fun."

"Sleep is fun."

"I go to the trouble of planning a whole birthday weekend and you want to sleep."

"I thought the prom was it."

"That was for all our friends, your Dad has a family dinner planned for your actual birthday and I thought we could spend the day celebrating just us." He brushed the hair out her eyes. "If you get up." He kissed her.

"I need coffee."

Logan handed her a cup.

"So are you going to tell me where we are going yet?" Veronica asked once they hit the highway again after stopping for breakfast.

"No." He replied.

"We're on the road to LA."

"Smart and beautiful."

"So we're going to LA?" Veronica asked.

"I didn't say that."

"So we're not going to LA?"

"I didn't say that either."

"You're driving me crazy."

"No I'm driving you on the PCH." He corrected. Veronica couldn't do anything but sigh.

They were about ten minutes from the destination when Logan held out an envelope to her.

"What's this?"

"You wanted to know where we're going."

Veronica took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a card that said I.O.U. She looked at him before opening it. Inside was another small envelope. The card read 'One bear won on a ring toss'.

"My only question is does it have to be ring toss because I was always better as shooting the water into the clowns mouth."

"Are you trying for some husband of the year award I don't know about?" She opened the other envelope with the tickets to Santa Monica pier.

"So does this mean you forgive me for waking you up?"

"It depends on how good your aim is."

By the time they had found somewhere to park and walked to the pier they still had a few minutes before it opened. Veronica's cell phone beeped indicating she had a message. She checked it and burst out laughing.

"Dick is so lucky he doesn't piss me off too often." Veronica passed the phone to Logan so he could see. Mac had sent her a picture of Dick of still dressed in his Robin Hood outfit half on and half off the bed. Hang ten asleep on his back.

"I think he had a little too much to drink last night."

"How did you get them to agree let you serve alcohol in a high school gym anyway?"

"I had to pay for all the cleanup costs any damages and a donation which will be funding part of the new wing of the library."

"Logan you shouldn't have spent so much."

"So do you like roller coasters?" Logan changed the subject.

"Only if you buy me funnel cake and go on the Ferris wheel."

"I think you have a deal." He held out his hand. Veronica wasn't going to tell him she would have gone on anyway.

"You really do suck at this don't you?" Veronica couldn't help but laugh as Logan's attempted at ring toss.

"I told you."

"Why don't we have lunch and let your manhood recover?"

"My manhood is just fine."

"Prove it." Veronica patted him on the butt and took off. Logan caught up with her wrapping arm around her and lifting her off the ground.

"Hey Mac." Veronica greeted her when she opened the door the next morning. "Let me just grab my wallet."

"Why do you have a giant bear?" Mac asked noticing the bear on the couch.

"Logan won it for me." Veronica replied.

"Logan did?"

"The first time we went out when we were planning on keeping it quiet so Duncan didn't find out from someone other than us I asked Logan if he ever thought we'd be normal and he suggested buy bears that has 'I wuv you beary much' I told him if I was getting a bear I wanted it won at a ring toss so he took me to Santa Monica Pier yesterday."

"That's sweet." Mac's phone rang. She checked who was calling before rejecting it.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm fine." Mac replied.

"Is Dick okay?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Mac what's going on?"

"After I sent you that picture yesterday I stood looking at him and I realised he's still that boy from high school. He would never throw me a prom for my birthday I doubt he even knows when it is."

"Come on Mac Dick loves you."

"I wouldn't know he never told me. I was looking at him and I realised he has all this money and he's just bidding his time. I practically live with him and I had to leave. I stayed at my parents last night."

"Now you're dodging his calls because you freaked out?" Veronica guessed.

"Veronica, can we not talk about it?"

"We'll talk later. Come on let's go."

"Damn." Dick looked at his phone.

"What man?" Logan asked as they were preparing to surf.

"Mac."

"What about Mac?"

"She wasn't there when I woke up yesterday and now she's avoiding my calls."

"Did you do something to piss her off?" Logan suggested.

"No, at least I don't think I did."

"She's doing something with Veronica this morning do you want me to call her?" Logan offered. Dick handed over his phone and Logan dialled the number.

"_Good morning Dick."_ Veronica answered.

"It's me. Are you with Mac?"

"_Yes."_

"Dick wants to know if he did something to piss her off she's not taking his calls."

"_Just leave it Logan, Mac's fine. They'll figure it out. I'll talk to you later."_

"Ronnie's not saying anything so I would say you pissed Mac off and she's just being loyal."

"How am I supposed to fix it if I don't know what I did wrong?" Dick asked.

"That's why women drive us crazy. Let's surf."

Dick tried to call Mac several more times, Mac rejecting the call.

"Don't you think he would get the hint I didn't want to talk to him?"

"Maybe you should." Veronica suggested. "He obviously wants to know what he did wrong."

"I can't deal with him right now."

An hour later Mac's phone rang again.

"It's my Mom." Mac picked up. "Hi Mom."

"_Cindy, Richard came by looking for you. I told him you were out with Veronica but he's been sat outside in his car for twenty minutes."_

"Don't worry Mom; he has a short attention span he'll leave soon."

"_Is everything okay? Did you two have a fight?"_

"Mom he'll go. I'll talk to you later." Mac hung up. "He's camped outside my parents' house."

"It sounds like he really wants to talk to you."

"Can we just go and get ice-cream sundaes?"

"Sure."

"Hey did you catch any big waves?" Veronica asked when she arrived home to find Logan sitting on the couch.

"You really want to talk about surfing?" Logan countered. "What did Dick do?"

"Hand over your cell phone." Veronica held out her hand.

"I'm not a girl. I'm not going to call him and tell him every word you say."

Veronica held out her hand until he sighed and put it in her palm.

"Nothing."

"What?"

"Dick didn't do anything."

"So why is he driving himself crazy trying to figure out why Mac is avoiding him and dodging his calls? He bought out three flower shops."

"Please tell me he wasn't clichéd enough to send her roses."

"Gerbera daisies apparently they are her favourite."

"So he does pay attention." Veronica nodded.

"If Dick didn't do anything what happened?"

"Mac panicked and had to leave to figure a few things out by herself."

"Dick would have understood that if she had told him. Why isn't women panic and rather than tell you they need space they just dodge you?" Logan wondered out loud.

"I should probably make a confession." Veronica shifted awkwardly. "Do remember the time we were in the pool house and I ran while you were trying to figure how to get into the liquor cabinet?"

"Yes?"

"The reason I ran wasn't because I was overwhelmed it was because I found your Dad's camera over the bed and I figure you were exactly the jerk I thought you were so I had Weevil come and pick me up."

"You thought I'd record you without your permission?"

"I didn't know what to think which is why I avoided you and lied." She paused. "If it helps I got over then accused you of killing Lilly. I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me you found the camera?"

"Because I freaked out, I honestly didn't trust you or myself and had to leave. Mac's panic wasn't quite as extreme but I understand it just the same. She'll talk to Dick as soon as figures out what she needs to figure out."

"I hope they do it before tomorrow night, your father invited them both to your birthday dinner."

Mac knocked on the door of Dick's apartment a little after 10 the next morning.

"So you're alive then." Dick said when he opened the door. "I've been calling and I sent flowers."

"I know they're beautiful. I'm sorry I just need some time to think."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"You were asleep and I panicked and had to leave."

"Do you want to come in?" He asked since they were still at the door.

"I need to ask you something first."

"What?"

"When is my birthday?"

"What?"

"Do you know when my birthday is?" She asked again.

"November 4th what has that got to do with anything?"

Mac stepped in and kissed him. Dick pushed the door closed behind her.

"I'm sorry I ran and I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls."

"If you need a few days tell me leave a note or answer the phone and tell me you don't want to talk to me. Because I love you and I thought I'd done something to piss you off that I couldn't remember."

"Why?" Mac asked.

"You know I have gaps in my memory when I drink a lot."

"No why do you love me?"

"You are smart, beautiful, you put up with a lot of my crap and I don't know does there a have to be a reason?"

"I love you too."

Logan and Dick stood at the bar with a beer while they waited for their table to be ready.

"We have a lot of money so why are we eating at some moderately crappy pizza restaurant?" Dick inquired.

"Veronica's parents used to bring her here for her birthday when she was a kid after they moved to Neptune. Keith was feeling a little sentimental." Logan sipped at his beer. "So you and Mac figured things out?"

"She's moving in." Dick replied.

"Are you ready for that? It's a commitment."

"From the guy who eloped with girl he kept breaking up with and who wasn't his girlfriend at the time." Dick glanced across to where Mac and Veronica were talking. "Did you tell her about the money yet?"

"No."

"Don't you think she should know?"

"I'll tell her eventually. You know before I die." Logan replied.

"So you worked it out?" Veronica asked.

"He told me he loved me unprompted and then asked me to move in with him."

"That's great."

"He and Hang Ten had a long discussion about it last night." Mac explained.

"Sorry I'm late." Wallace slipped into the empty chair next to them. "I had a flat. Happy Birthday Veronica."

"Thank you." She smiled. "We're still waiting on a table. Dad's talking to the hostess."

"So where are Richie Dee and Richie Dum?"

"At the bar." Veronica replied. "They'll get you a drink if you want one."

"I'm good. So what were you two discussing before I interrupted?"

"I'm moving in with Dick." Mac explained.

"I thought you already live with him."

"Don't even go there." Veronica told him.

"Okay it's going to be another five minutes; they had a few big groups who refused to leave." Keith came over.

"It's okay Dad, I'm having a good time." Veronica smiled.

A few weeks later Veronica was on the phone with Mac discussing something Mac was helping her with for a case when there was a knock on the door.

"Hold on a second Mac." Veronica walked over to answer it to find a messenger at the door.

"Echolls?" He asked. Veronica nodded and signed for the packaged. She opened the enveloped and pulled out the stack of papers inside.

"OH MY GOD." She dropped the phone.

"_Veronica?"_ Mac called from the other end.

"I'll call you back." Veronica hung up.

"Ronnie?" Logan came out of the bedroom where he was in the process of getting dress and was only wearing his jeans.

"I opened it my mistake." She handed him the stack of papers. "You have two hundred million dollars?"

"Give or take a cabin in Aspen, a ranch in El Paso and summer house in Sydney."

"Logan that is a lot of money."

"I know. But you knew I had money since the day I met you in junior high."

"It's really a lot of money."

"I know." He stepped closer.

"Why are you living here? You could live anywhere you wanted."

"You wanted to live here." He reminded her even though they had moved to a bigger place the apartment was still small. "I'm fine where you are."

"Logan I..."

Logan's cell phone rang.

"Not now Dick. I'll call you back." He answered.

"_Mac was concerned about Veronica."_

"She'll be fine when she stops hyperventilating." Logan hung up. "Veronica?"

"I can't deal I need to leave."

"No." Logan caught her wrist lightly. "It's okay."

"It's not okay."

"I'm sorry." He kissed her until she relaxed in his arms. "Are you okay now?"

"Logan it's the national debt of several countries."

"I know. Sit down." He sat next her.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't get full control of it until I turned 21. It's taken them this long to transfer everything into my name. I'm guessing you didn't get past the first page."

"No. Why?"

Logan found the page of the report his was looking for and showed it to her.

"Logan why do you I have an account with 3 million dollars in it?"

"It's your college fund."

"Logan its 50 people who are going to be neurosurgeons college funds. Take it back."

"I can't it was yours free and clear when you turned 21. I can't touch it." He explained.

"I have $603 dollars in my checking account and maybe double that in my savings account what am I going to do with 3 million dollars?"

"Whatever you like or you could use the no limit credit card I gave you for something other than buying gas when you don't have enough cash."

"I need time to process this."

"Take as long as you need." He told her.

"I'm going for a walk."

"Take your cell phone and come back." He kissed her forehead. Logan wanted to give her space, suddenly finding out you were rich had to be tough to get your head around. Veronica knew he had millions but she had never asked for a figure.

Veronica was sat at her desk staring at the wall when her father let himself into the office.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?" Keith inquired.

"I have three million dollars." She replied.

"Er... congratulations?" He wasn't sure what else to say.

"Logan put all the money from selling his mother's jewellery in an account and I got control of it when I turned 21. Dad what am I supposed to do with three million dollars?"

"Go to Stanford like you always wanted? Go travelling?" He suggested.

"You can't just give a person three million dollars."

"Honey, you married a guy who inherited millions of dollars you have to learn to accept that you have money and it's okay to spend it. You don't have to go out and buy everything you see but it's ok." Keith hugged her.

"Dad, he has 200 million dollars a cabin in Aspen, a ranch in El Paso and a summer house in Sydney."

"Sounds about right." Keith agreed.

"Dad?"

"Don't be mad." Keith walked into his office and returned with a picture he had taken off the wall. He pulled the back off and handed Veronica an envelope which had been hidden inside.

"You did a background check on Logan?"

"The two of you got married quickly and given everything that happened in the past I thought it was what a good parent does. But I don't think there is anything in there that you didn't already know about other than his net worth."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You're 21 years old, you've been through a lot for someone your age go out and have a some fun, do something crazy just don't get arrested otherwise you'll have to loan me the money to bail you out." He kissed the top of her head. "I just came in to get a file are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Veronica faked a smile.

Veronica looked up when the door opened a little later.

"Hey." Logan said.

"How did you know where I was?"

"Your Dad called. Come on." He held out a hand to her.

"Where are we going?"

"My accountant. He'll go through every single dollar and explain it all to you. It might help."

Four hours later they left the accountants office.

"So other than being bored what are you thinking?" Logan inquired.

"My Dad was right."

"Right about what?"

"We're twenty-one we can afford it so we should do something crazy."

"Define crazy." Logan asked. He was up for most things except maybe jumping out a plane.

"We should go home and pack."

"Where are we going?"

"The happiest place on Earth." Veronica replied.

"You can go anywhere and do anything you like and you want to go to Disney World?"

"I always wanted to go as a kid but we couldn't afford it." She glanced at him. "Don't worry I'll put it on my credit card."

Logan couldn't help but kiss her. While Veronica was still uncertain about the money a lot of what the accountant had said made a lot of sense.

"Welcome to the Disney Hotel." The woman at the front desk smiled.

"We have reservation under Veronica Echolls." Veronica informed the woman. Veronica had made a reservation while they were packing.

"Of course Mrs Echolls." She pulled the details up on the computer. "If I can just see the credit card you used to make the reservation."

Veronica pulled it out and handed it over.

"Just one moment."

Logan's cell phone rang. He stepped away to take the call.

"I'm sorry Mrs Echolls there seems to be some flag on your card. Do you have another card?"

"A flag? The card has no limit and the only thing I've bought on it was gas six months ago."

"And that would be the problem." Logan stepped back. "The credit card company are on the phone they were concerned that your card was being used. Here talk to them." Logan handed the phone to the woman.

"You're the one who told me to use my card." Veronica reminded Logan.

"They were just concerned. You can use it for whatever you want." He assured.

"I'm sorry about that Mrs Echolls." The woman handed Logan back his phone and Veronica back her card. "You'll be staying in one of our suites." She then gave them two key cards. "Pierre will help you with your luggage; please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable."

"Disney!!" Veronica jumped around the room. Logan couldn't help but laugh. "Smile." Veronica took a quick picture of him with her camera.

"You're crazy." Logan chuckled. "You're going to make me go to the parade aren't you?"

"Of course. We'll even you get you some mouse ears with your name on them." She kissed him. "We should have done this before."

"We only live a few hours away." He reminded her.

Veronica stuffed her camera into her purse.

"Come on let's go and have fun." She grabbed his hand.

"Fine but I'm not having my picture taken with a Disney Princess however much you plead."

A few days into their impromptu vacation Logan left Veronica in the restaurant to run back up to the room to grab something. Someone called to hold the elevator so Logan stuck his hand out and held the door.

"Thank you." A woman stepped inside.

"Kendall." Logan said recognising her.

"Logan."

"This is an interesting place for you to be." Logan commented.

"I'm meeting someone. Let me guess you and the guys decided you'd have enough of drinking for one week."

"I'm here with Veronica." Logan corrected.

"Veronica Mars. So the two of you are still together."

"We got married." Logan held up a hand so she could see the gold ring.

"So you knocked her up." She guessed.

"No." Logan replied. "And Dick is fine by the way. He's girlfriend moved in a couple weeks ago."

"She's probably after his money."

"Not all women are gold digging whores like you." Logan said. "What a shame my floor." The doors opened.

"Everything okay?" Veronica asked when he returned.

"In the interest of full disclosure I just ran into Kendall in the elevator."

"Kendall Casablancas?"

"Yes."

"Trust me I'd be happy if I never heard her name again. For the record I never want to know whether you saw her in the French maid's outfit Dick bought her either."

"Deal. So who are we stalking today?"

Veronica had made it her mission to get photographed with as many characters as possible and was doing pretty well.

"I haven't decided yet. But the day is young."

Veronica was still wary of spending Logan's money but she did use some of it to pay for her year at Stanford. After they had graduated from Hearst they had had the perfect beach wedding and Veronica had even let Logan buy them a house although she refused to live in the 09er zip code. They had rented in a place in Palo Alto while school was in session but came back to Neptune and their house during the breaks.

"You have a package." Veronica said when she came in with the mail.

"I'll open it later." Logan who was playing a computer game replied.

"Why don't you open it now?" Veronica suggested holding it out to him.

"I didn't order anything I'll open it later."

"Fine." Veronica snatched it away. "Don't bother at all."

"You know it's a federal crime to steal someone's mail." He pointed out.

"Not when you sent it." Veronica stated.

"You sent me something. How very old fashioned of you."

"I'm going to work." She had gotten her P.I's licence and was working at her Dad's office when she could.

Logan caught her wrist light and spun her so she landed in his lap.

"Do you want to tell me what got a stick up your butt?" He asked.

Veronica tore open the envelope and pulled out the white stick and handed it to him. Logan took the EPT from her.

"You're pregnant?"

"No flies on you Sherlock." She climbed out his lap. "I'm going to work."

"Don't you think we should talk about this?" He followed her to the door.

"What is there to talk about?"

"The fact that you're pregnant?" Logan said rather loudly as she opened the door.

"Hi Dad." Veronica sighed. Her father had to pick that day to have the worst timing in the world.

"You're pregnant?" Keith asked.

"Apparently. Now excuse me there has to be so lowlife I can tail." She walked off towards her car.

"Veronica?" Logan called after her.

"Logan, if she's anything like her mother was when she was pregnant it is best if you let her calm down before you try talking to her." Keith advised.

"Were you here to see Veronica?" Logan inquired.

"No you. I need a favour."

"Come in." Logan stepped back to let him in.

Logan entered Mars Investigations a few hours later Veronica was filing.

"Hi I want to hire you."

"To do what?" Veronica asked.

"I managed to piss of my wife by being a jerk earlier I want to hire you to find out what I need to do to fix it."

"It'll cost you." She closed the filing cabinet drawer.

"How much?"

"A lot of grovelling."

"I'm sorry."

"It's my sort of my fault anyway."

"How is that?" Logan asked as they both sat down.

"With finals and studying I forgot it was time to get my birth control shot. I didn't get an appointment until last week and they run a pregnancy test before they give you the shot. It turned out it was too late."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. The baby is due the first week of December. I know when we talked about having kids we were going to wait until after I joined the FBI. But I guess we're overachievers. How are you doing?"

"Surprisingly well." Logan smiled. "How about I take you out for ice-cream sundaes to celebrate?" He suggested.

"Since I found out my stomach can't handle ice-cream." Veronica admitted.

"Okay anything you like?"

"Pasta at Luigi's."

"Pasta at Luigi's it is." Logan agreed.

"How did my Dad react?"

"He's fine. He's going to wait until you want to talk to him."

"The End." Veronica finished reading the book to six year old Michael.

"Mommy is Daddy rich?"

"Yes baby."

"So why don't we live in a big house like Miles and Sophie?" He asked.

"Just because you have money doesn't mean you need to flaunt it. Don't you like living here?"

"Yes but..."

"The most important thing in the world is family. Daddy and I love you everything else doesn't matter." She kissed his forehead. "Now go to sleep. Goodnight."

"I love you." He settled down.

While Logan would have been happy to give the kids anything they wanted Veronica was adamant that they weren't going to become spoiled little rich kids. If they wanted anything they were going to have to earn it and they were going to learn the value of money. When Logan had set up the their trust funds Veronica had insisted on some very strict rules that they only got the money when they had turned 25 if they had completed college and had had a steady job for at least a year. Logan had been initially against the idea until Veronica had asked him if he really wanted his kids to grow up to like he was in high school and he had conceded.

"Installing the evils of money again?" Logan asked as he met her in the hallway. "Sammi is asleep." He said referring to their 3 year old daughter. "We should go so we're not late."

Logan and Veronica always made sure that at least one of them was home to put the kids to bed. After finishing Stanford Veronica knew that the idea of joining the FBI would have to be put on hold in definitely so had gone to her father and invested in Mars Investigations. They now had 4 full time P.I.'s working for them and two people who looked solely for bail jumpers one of whom was Eli Narvao. Veronica's office was big enough she could take the kids to work with her most days. On the days that she couldn't Logan had started his own company which had a daycare facility for the employees but most of the time he them in his office with him.

"Dad, they are both in bed. If you need anything..." Veronica started.

"I have watched my grandchildren before." He reminded her. "Go and have fun at your benefit."

"Thank you Keith." Logan steered his wife out of the house before she could protest.

Once they had arrived at the benefit for the children's hospital Logan excused himself to go and talk to a mutual business contact with Dick. Veronica went and found Mac who was already sat at their table.

"So I hear congratulations are in order." Veronica sat in the empty chair next to her. "It's about time."

"Thank you." Mac held out her hand so Veronica could see the ring that Dick hand only given her that afternoon. "Nine years is a long time."

"No I meant if I didn't think I could keep it a secret for much longer."

"You knew?" Mac asked.

"Who else do you think he took ring shopping? Logan?"

"Good point." Mac conceded.

"Did he tell you about the micro etching?"

"No."

"You know diamonds these days have codes laser etched into them so they can prove they aren't conflict diamonds he had them etch To Mac love always Dick into it. I told him it would be easier to have the band engraved but he thought the diamond would be around longer."

"That's sweet." She paused. "He had pretty good timing."

"You're pregnant?" Veronica guessed. Mac nodded. "Does he know?"

"Not yet. I wasn't quite sure how to tell him. How did you tell Logan?"

"With Michael I sent him the EPT in the mail but he refused to open it so I got mad and tried to storm out, I had to open it myself them I tried to leave and he insisted we need to talk about it and blurted it out in front of my Dad who was on the other side of the door. With Samantha I threw up over his shoes when he offered to take me out for ice-cream. I can't eat the stuff when I'm pregnant. I still haven't quite figured out how to tell him yet about this one."

"You're pregnant too?" Veronica nodded. "When are you due?"

"June 3rd." Veronica answered. "You?"

"June 2nd."

"So we get to get fat and have them run around after us together. One piece of advice get all the drugs that they will offer you, it hurts."

"It still doesn't help is decide how to tell them."

"I have an idea." Veronica flagged down a waiter. "Can we get two glasses of orange juice and a couple of white paper cocktail napkins?"

"Of course Mrs Echolls." He smiled.

"When did I become one of those society wives that I hate?" Veronica inquired.

"You're not. You just happen to be a big supporter of the children's hospital."

"That's only because they have been so great since they figured out Michael is asthmatic. How is business?"

Mac had opened her own web design and consultancy company and within a year was making seven figure profits. She had refused to let Dick help but had agreed to let Veronica invest making her partner.

"Very good. We just finished up the overhaul of the website for Dick's company."

"It's going to be tough to imagine Dick with a wife and kid."

"I think I was more surprised when he told me had had gotten a job, and he's pretty good at it too."

"You should have seen the look on Dad's face when he came into the office to ask him for a character reference." Veronica smiled.

"Here you go Mrs Echolls." The waiter came back.

"Thank you." Veronica smiled at him before looking in purse for a pen. "Just write it on the napkin and we'll hand them to them during the speeches."

The hospital's chief of staff began making her welcome speech before dinner began. Mac looked at Veronica who nodded. They each passed their napkins over, Dick and Logan gave them both curious looks before unfolding them.

The loud 'what?!' made everyone stop and look at them.

"Logan was just saying he'd like to donate another $100,000." Veronica said as a distraction.

"So would Dick." Mac added.

"That's very generous." There was a round of applause before she continued her speech.

"You're pregnant and you're giving away a $100,000?" Dick whispered to Mac.

"Dick between the two of us we made more than that last month and charitable donations are tax deductible." She reminded him.

"She's pregnant too?" Logan asked Veronica who nodded.

"And three is my limit, when this one is born you're going to the doctor for an outpatient procedure."

"Okay." He kissed her forehead.

"This isn't one of the things you can agree to now and think you'll talk me out of it."

"Okay. Three's the limit." He agreed. "And I stopped trying to do that years ago. There is really no point."

When the music started to play Logan asked Veronica to dance.

"So Dick is reproducing."

"I don't think it's going to be as bad as we think. He's great with Mike and Sammi."

"That's because he's an over grown five year old."

"And you aren't?" Veronica countered.

"Touché." He conceded.

"Just remember the kid will have half of Mac's genes and she is living proof that it's nurture rather than nature that decides how you turn out."

"What?"

"That's up to Mac whether she wants you to know, I don't know if even Dick knows."

"Knows what?"

"I can't say. It's your turn to tell Dad."

"Why is it my turn?" He asked.

"You blurted it out about Michael, I told him about Samantha."

"I only told him about Mike by accident." He pointed out. "We could just wait until he guesses?"

"Fine but I get to pick the kid's name."

"You picked the last two." He reminded her.

"But you had veto."

"That was because of Hang Ten."

"She can surf." Veronica stated. "I know I have pictures."

"I still get veto." He kissed her. "And I appreciate that you didn't throw up on my shoes this time."

"It's a long nine months there will be plenty of opportunities." She assured him.

"Hey Dad." Veronica greeted him when they arrived home. "Were the kids okay?"

"Mikey got up for a drink of water but other than that they have both been out like a light." He replied.

"That's good Veronica has something she wants to tell you." Logan went to hang their coats up.

"What did you need to tell me sweetheart?" Keith inquired.

"You're going to be a grandpa again."

"Congratulations honey." Keith hugged her.

"Finding out cost me a hundred k." Logan stated.

"Mac and Dick are getting married, she's pregnant too." Veronica diverted the conversation.

"That's great. Go back to the money." Keith requested.

"Mac and I wrote the information on cocktail napkins it's not my fault you and Dick reacted loudly and interrupted the speech. Donating more money was an apology and the hospital has been great with Michael." Veronica yawned. "It's late I'm tired I'll see you tomorrow Dad, thanks for watching the kids."

A few weeks later they had the first scan to make sure everything was okay. Since their due dates were practically identical Mac and Veronica had been able to schedule their appointments together. Mac and Dick had been called in first. Veronica was still waiting for Logan to show up when she was called in.

She kept glancing at the clock on the wall while the woman squirted the gel on her stomach.

"We can wait a few minutes." The tech offered.

"No, we have two at home he's been through this before go ahead."

"I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught in traffic." Logan apologised when he came in a few minutes later.

"You had to be an over achiever didn't you." Veronica said.

"I'm sorry?" He was a little confused.

"Show him." Veronica prompted the tech.

"This is number one and this is number two." She pointed out the little dots on the screen.

"Two? As in twins?"

"I told you three was enough but you had to shoot for four." Veronica sighed.

"Are they okay?"

"Everyone is happy and healthy at this point, good strong heartbeats."

When they returned to the waiting room they found Dick sitting with a bag of ice held to his forehead and a doctor checking his vision.

"What happened?" Veronica asked.

"I'm bumped my head. I'm fine." Dick insisted.

"He passed out and hit his head on the edge of the trolley." Mac corrected.

"Oh man." Logan chuckled.

"You looked decidedly pale when they told you it was twins." Veronica pointed out.

"You're having twins?" Mac asked.

"Apparently. Just be grateful the wedding is in a few weeks otherwise you'd have a matron of honour the size of the Goodyear blimp."

Veronica rubbed her stomach as she sat at her desk.

"Veronica." The receptionist stuck her head in the door. "There is a man here to see you; he said his name is Troy you went to high school together."

"Send him in." Veronica told her.

"Veronica Mars." Troy said when he entered her office. "It's good to see you again. You've definitely moved up in the world you even have an office."

"It's Echolls now." Veronica corrected him. "And it's nice to see you too."

"So you married Logan?"

"Almost ten years. Two kids and two on the way." She stood up so he could see her six months pregnant bump.

"You're huge."

"And you're good for a girl's self esteem. How can I help? I'm guessing you're not here for a social call."

"I need a favour."

"Is this a investigate the disappearance of your Dad's car so you try and swindle your friend out of a bundle of steroids or bail you out of jail favour?"

"Neither. But I do need your help."

"Take a seat." Veronica encouraged.

Twenty minutes later the door to her office flung open.

"Mommy?!" Two little people ran in.

"Sorry." Logan apologised seeing she had someone in with her. "They got away from me."

"It's okay we were done. Hey munkins." She gave the kids a hug. "Logan, you remember Troy."

"Logan." Troy got up and shook Logan's hand.

"So what are you doing back in town?" Logan asked.

"I'm just here for a favour."

"The cost of favours has gone up since high school."

"Logan." Veronica said in a warning tone.

"I should get going." Troy said.

"Leave your contact details with Caitlin I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"Thanks." Troy left.

"So what are you guys doing here?"

"Lunch." Michael replied.

"Where are we going for lunch?" Veronica asked.

"McDonalds."

"I guess that means you are eating all your vegetables at dinner tonight."

"Mommy your tummy moved." Samantha noticed.

"That's your baby sisters moving." Veronica took her hand and put it on her stomach so she could feel the babies kick. "Why don't the two of you go and find Grandpa while Mommy talks to Daddy?"

The kids ran off to find Keith.

"What did Troy want?" Logan inquired.

"To hire me." Veronica hauled herself out her chair. "And I'm conceding."

"To what?"

"I can't fit behind the wheel anymore. You can hire me a driver for a couple months."

"Finally." Logan kissed her. "Did something move you look bigger today?"

"What is it with people calling me fat today?" Veronica asked.

"You're beautiful."

"And you'd better shut up and take me to lunch before you dig yourself a bigger hole." Veronica suggested.

"So I have been thinking about names." Veronica said as they sat watching the kids play after lunch.

"Hit me." Logan turned to look at her.

"I was thinking Charlotte Lynn."

"You want to name her after my Mom?"

"I liked your mother and we do have a theme going. Michael's middle name is Keith and Samantha's is Lilly."

"I can live with that. What about number 2?" Logan asked.

"Rebecca Megan."

"After Meg?"

"Despite the whole Duncan thing she was my friend. At one point she was the only one of you who was nice to me."

"It's a good thing we're stopping at four because we're running out of dead people we like. I can live with that. At least we don't have to worry about clashing with Mac and Dick."

"I think Mac was leaning towards Thomas Mackenzie, she refused to consider Richard Casablancas III." Veronica smiled. "So Mike, Sammi, Charlie and Becky." She smiled. "Speaking of Sammi do you want to grab her before she escapes?"

"Where do you think you're going missy?" Logan caught his daughter and spun her in the air. "You need to stay where Mommy and I can see you." He set her down near Michael. "You have to watch them." He sat back down.

"Why do you think I have GPS tracking on them?" Veronica asked.

"What?"

"In their shoes." She pulled out her blackberry and showed him the dots at their current location. "Speaking of GPS I need your wallet."

"Why?" He handed it over.

Veronica pulled out a card he hardly used and peeled off a black GPS dot and stuck it on her phone so she didn't lose it.

"You had me tagged too?"

"I know how you and Dick are when you're drunk so Mac and I gave you GPS dots just to make sure you didn't end up on a fishing boat to Alaska during his bachelor party. I forgot to get it back. Remind me to tell Mac to retrieve Dick's. Those things are expensive.

"It's nice to know you trust me."

"You called me at three AM signing 'Dick's getting married in the morning'." She reminded him. "I had to bail Jack Talbot out of jail for feeling up the stripper in Las Vegas when you weren't supposed to be leaving the state. I had to have Dad call in a few favours so I could front bail from out of state."

"You might have a point about that night."

"Hey." Veronica prodded either side of her stomach.

"Kicking each other again?" He guessed. "Behave." He put a hand either side of her stomach and they stopped.

"They won't listen to you like that when they're sixteen. Sammi either."

"What?" Logan asked.

"Logan you remember sixteen year old girls. You corrupted enough of them. How many times did Lilly sneak out with you or sneak you in for that matter? The drinking and partying I have video."

"Can't we just send them to a convent on their fifteenth birthday?" Logan asked.

"We're not Catholic." Veronica pointed out.

"We could convert." He suggested. "Hey Sammi do your Dad a favour and don't grow up."

"Okay Daddy." She agreed and went back to playing.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Veronica got up. "I'll be back." When she returned her cell phone was ring. "Hello... What kind of favour?... Are you sure you want to do that? .... No it's fine what time do you want Logan to drop them off... If you change your mind give me a call... I'll talk to you later."

"Do I want to know?" Logan asked.

"Mac wants to borrow the kids for the night. She thinks Dick could do with the practice."

"A night alone whatever will we do."

"Not what you're thinking I'm as big as a house already."

"I was thinking of renting a movie and Chinese takeout but if you're worried about your weight." He kissed her.

"Hi." Logan came up behind Veronica who was stood at the sink watching the kids playing in the garden.

"Hi." Veronica smiled.

"Is that Graham?" Logan spotted a man playing with the children.

"The kids love him. He has a granddaughter Sammi's age." Veronica told. "Look you pay him to sit around all day waiting to see if I want to go anywhere so he's helping me keep an eye on them and before you ask I ran a background check."

"You and the help." He shook his head. Veronica scowled at him. "Sorry."

"I gave him the weekend off so he can take his wife away with his bonus."

"Bonus?" Logan asked. "What bonus?"

"I had him drive a bugged limo last night for a case."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"A grey area. The contract she signed said we were allowed to record all activity in the limo at the request of her fiancé. Rich people should learn to read things before they sign them."

"They don't expect you to change the terms. How did it go at the doctor's this morning?"

"He thinks I should probably last until my due date."

"So any time in the next three weeks." Logan concluded.

"Considering Michael was two weeks late and Samantha ten days any time soon is good. Lamaze class is at six." She reminded him.

"Why are we going again? We went before and you ended up with any drugs the anaesthesiologist would give you and never used it."

"You're going to keep Dick from freaking out again and it's the last one tonight."

"Watching that video of the woman giving birthday is almost enough to put you off sex for life. I wasn't going to watch it again." He stated.

"It obviously didn't work for you." She rubbed her stomach.

"I said almost." He kissed her. "I'm going to change out of this suit."

"I think you could do with losing a few pounds Ronnie." Dick commented as he and Logan hauled her to her feet after class.

"And you could do without me kicking an area that God intended to be only treated nicely. Let me know how that works out for you."

"Be nice or your surfboard is going in the chipper." Mac warned Dick.

"Do you know how much that cost?"

"Yes. I'm the one who told you you couldn't claim it on your tax returns as a business expense. So French fries?" She asked Veronica.

"And mustard." She agreed.

"I guess we're going to the drive-thru on the way home." Logan sighed.

"Who said anything about the drive-thru? I want tables with tablecloths and napkins. This could be the last time I get to eat out before my life starts revolving around diapers and feeding schedules again."

"And where do you think you'll get tablecloths without a reservation?"

"Luigi's." Veronica and Mac said together.

"He doesn't have French fries on the menu." Dick pointed out.

"He does for us." Mac explained. "We're his best customers. We go for lunch twice a week."

"Business meetings." Veronica agreed. "If you don't want to go I'm sure Graham will come and pick us up."

"I love that guy." Mac said as they walked out.

"Did we just get ditched for the chauffer?" Dick asked Logan.

"I think so." Logan agreed they quickly caught up. "Does your father know he's watching the kids for longer?"

"He's staying with us for a few days while they fumigate his building. I told you last week and he knows we were going to eat after class."

The next time they were all at the hospital Veronica and Mac were both in labour.

"Okay breathe, you're doing great." Veronica held Mac's hand through the contraction.

"Where the hell are Dick and Logan?" She asked.

"I don't know but my water just broke."

Mac pressed the button for a nurse.

"Okay Veronica let's get you back on the bed." She came in and helped Veronica up onto the bed. "And I think there are two guys in the waiting room that belong to you."

"Tell the one with brown hair he has an appointment for Monday at 10am and if they don't get in here I'm going to ask them to cut more than a little tube." Veronica requested. "And can you find the guy with drugs? If I'm doing this twice I need painkillers."

"I'll see what I can do."

The nurse found Dick and Logan relaying Veronica's message and telling them what room they were in.

"What appointment?" Dick asked.

"I promised Veronica I was get a vasectomy, four was enough."

"I'd never let anyone go near the boys with anything sharp and what happens with the next Mrs Echolls?"

"What?" Logan asked.

"We're rich aren't we supposed to hit 45 have a mid-life crisis and run off with a 21 year old stripper named Candi?" Dick inquired.

"Veronica keeps on telling we are not our parents. We don't have to make the same mistakes they did. Can you really see yourself ditching Mac for a stripper?"

"No she'd kill me or Veronica would."

"Maybe we should go before Veronica decides I don't need a doctor her taser will do."

Twelve hours later Dick sat on the edge of Mac's bed.

"I'll just take him to the nursery." The nurse said putting her hand on the portable bassinet.

"No!" Mac stated adamantly. "He stays with me until we get to go home."

"It's hospital policy Mrs Casablancas."

"I don't give a damn about hospital policy Thomas stays here."

"I wouldn't argue with her." Dick advised. "You'll rarely win."

The nurse huffed and left.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?"

"There is something I probably should have told you a while ago." A tear ran down her cheek.

Logan stood at the nursery window watching his daughters sleep. Keith had brought Mike and Sammi to visit their new sister and had taken them home to bed.

"They look nothing like you." Dick commented from behind Logan. "Are you sure Veronica didn't get busy with the pool guy?"

"We don't have a pool." Logan reminded him. "I forgot how tiny they are. So which one is yours?"

"He is with Mac. She won't let him out of her sight."

"Veronica was like that the first few weeks after Michael was born. It's a first time Mom thing."

"No it's a switched at birth thing." Dick corrected.

"What?"

"They sent her home with the wrong parents and no-one figured it out until she was four and it was too late to switch them back not that she new until Veronica found out in high school. The girl she was switched with doesn't know."

"Wow. Although that does explain a few conversations I've had with Veronica."

"Who else do you go to when you want to find out your family's darkest secrets?"

"Keith. He did a background check on me when we got married to make sure there wasn't anything she didn't know. But you should see the file she has on you."

"She did a background check on me?"

"It's the photos you should be worried about. All neatly categorised for the moment you hurt her friend."

"Couldn't you have picked a woman with a normal hobby?" Dick asked.

"Where would the fun be in that?" He smiled. "It probably explains tagging the Mike and Sammi?"

"Tagging?"

"They had GPS trackers in their shoes." Logan explained pulling out his wallet and finding the card with the GPS dot.

"She tagged you too?"

"This was so she could figure out where I was when she went into labour. It's not like Mac didn't do it to you too."

"What?" Dick pulled his wallet and went through his cards and found a dot at attached to one of them.

"It's probably been there since your bachelor party. They wanted to make sure we didn't end up in Alaska. It's how she knew we were in Vegas."

"She was switched with Madison Sinclair." Dick blurted out.

"So girl you dated in high school was switched with the girl you wouldn't have looked at twice but ended up marrying?"

"Don't my head is spinning. I'm too tired to think it out."

"Veronica told me I wasn't allowed to complain about being tired because she did all the hard work I just stood around looking pretty. Which is why she's asleep and I'm stood here watching them sleep."

"Talking of them do you want to pick one and we'll start negotiating a dowry?" Dick joked.

Veronica finished unloading the dishwasher and putting the dishes away. She went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water and closed the door when the calendar on the back of the door caught her attention. A slow tear ran down her cheek without questioning it she picked up her purse and jacket and quickly checked on the kids. Michael was playing a semi-educational video game, Samantha was colouring and the twins were asleep in their playpen.

She ran up the stairs to Logan's office.

"Logan I need you to watch the kids for a while." She wiped another tear from her cheek.

"Is everything okay?" He got from where he was doing some paperwork. "Is your Dad okay?"

"He's fine. I just need to go somewhere."

"Veronica...."

"Please Logan can you just watch the kids for a while?"

"Sure." He paused. "You're not going to jump off a bridge like my Mom are you?"

"No. I'll be an hour two at most." She pulled her cell phone out and set it on the desk taking his from where it sat. "I'm the red dot." She kissed him.

"I love you."

"Me too." She agreed.

Logan knew the significance of the date and once he heard the car peel out of the driveway he picked up the phone.

"Keith it's Logan I need a favour." He said when it connected.

"Hey Lilly." Veronica said as she set some flowers on her friend's grave. "It's been a while. I'm sorry I haven't been by." She tear ran down her cheek as she sat down on the marble bench that was situated in front of Lilly's grave.

"Room for one more?" Logan asked walking up behind her twenty minutes later.

"Logan? What are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I'd remember?"

"Fifteen years today." Veronica confirmed. Logan sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her kissing her forehead. "Where are the kids?"

"With your Dad. He said to take however long we needed."

"Any more room on that bench?" A voice asked from behind them.

"Duncan." Veronica turned around wiping her eyes. "How's Lilly?"

"In junior high. She wanted to go on a date last week; I'm trying to figure out if I can lock her in her room until she is 18." He pulled a picture out of his wallet to show them.

"It wouldn't work." Veronica told him.

"She keeps telling me we can't lock them up or send them to a convent." Logan added.

"I heard you got married. So you have kids?"

"Four." Veronica confirmed

"Michael, Samantha, Rebecca and Charlotte." Logan showed him a picture.

Veronica couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Logan asked.

"Who would have thought we'd be here trading baby pictures?" Veronica smiled. "I wonder what Lilly would have thought."

"She would have appreciated the irony." Duncan said after a minute. "So what else have you two been doing other than repopulating?"

The three of them sat their catching up on their lives. While Lilly's death had split them apart changing their lives forever, time and her memory had brought them all back together. A piece of her living on forever in the minds of those who could not forget.

THE END


End file.
